Master thesis Leveraging Strategic Partnerships as Business Assets​

About the thesis 

Are you a master’s student within engineering, finance or law looking for an innovative company to collaborate with on your master’s thesis during the spring semester of 2025? Look no further.  
 
ASSA ABLOY is the global leader in access solutions and provides the latest technologies to give access to physical and virtual spaces for millions of people every day. Joining ASSA ABLOY means being part of a fast-moving and highly innovative company with diverse opportunities in more than 70 countries worldwide. 
 
What can you expect as a master’s thesis intern at ASSA ABLOY? Cutting edge technology, a steep learning curve, dedicated supervisors from within the enterprise, a group of fellow master's thesis students to share the experience with – and much more. 
 
We have an exciting range of subjects. Please remember to indicate in your application if you're interested in other subjects as well, and mark them in your order of preference. Please also let us know your thoughts on how you would approach the subject. Please note that most of your work will be done at our site in Liljeholmen, Stockholm.   
 

While we aim to support all proposed thesis subjects, we may need to change or cancel a project due to unexpected circumstances.  
 

Master thesis nr 8.  Leveraging Strategic Partnerships as Business Assets​ 

Strategic partnerships play a pivotal role in today’s interconnected business landscape. This thesis aims to explore how organizations strategically use partnerships and relationships to enhance their competitive position, drive innovation, and create long-term value. ​ 

Suggested Areas of Exploration:​ 

• Investigate various partnership models (e.g., joint ventures, research collaborations, licensing agreements) and assess their impact on IP creation, protection, and commercialization. ​ 
   

• Analyze the objectives of entering partnerships and how they contribute to value creation beyond financial gains. Consider aspects like knowledge exchange, joint R&D, market access and intangible benefits.​ 
   

• Explore how IP assets, such as patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, enable and enhance strategic partnerships.​  
   

• Examine how IP ownership is negotiated within partnerships. Explore mechanisms for sharing IP rights while maintaining competitive advantage.​ 

Expected Student Capabilities and Prior Knowledge: ​ 

• Understanding of strategic management principles, including competitive strategy, value creation, and business model innovation.​ 

• Familiarity with different types of IP (patents, trademarks, trade secrets) and their legal implications.​ 

• Knowledge of various partnership structures such as joint ventures, alliances, and licensing agreements.​ 
   

• Awareness of how globalization and digitalization impact business strategies and operations.​ 

• Analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to dissect complex problems, assess information objectively, and propose solutions to identified challenges.​ 

We look forward to receiving your application with your resumé and university grades and hearing your ideas on how you would approach this subject!  

We are the ASSA ABLOY Group
Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 61,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access. 

As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.

As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.